Automobile plate or tag



1 1939- A. s. HAINSWORTH 1 2,182,919

AUTOMOBILE PLATE 0R TAG Filed Jan. 12, 1939 I C2. is?

Patented Dec. 12, 1939 unites AU'EQMDBILE ?LATE OR TAG Arthur Sydney Hainsworth, West Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor of one-third to John V. Kaufmann, New Castle, Pa, one-sixth to Jessie Hasson Ritchie, and one-sixth to William Hasson Ritchie, both of Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application January 12, 1939, Serial No. 250,643

4 Claims.

This invention relates particularly to certain improvements in automobile plates, or tags, though it is capable of other use as will appear from the following description thereof.

The plate is here shown and described as using numbers, though it is capable of use in connection with letters as well as numbers.

My particular improvement consists of raising the numbers from the surface of the plate, which is sometimes referred to as embossed.

The improvement consists in embossing or raising from the surface of the plate a V-shaped groove by forming said groove substantially M- shaped, whereby the groove is embossed thereon, and which forms the embossed portion with inner walls forming the V-shape, and also forms the outer walls which extend to or merge into the surface of said plate. This construction therefore forms four walls. In using this improvement said inner walls of the ll-shaped embossed portion are utilized as reflecting surfaces, and 'also enables the use of the outer Walls when desired-also as reflecting surfaces, while the body or the plate is non-reflecting, all of which will be more fully described hereinafter.

Referring to the drawing,

Figure 1 shows an automobile plate which embodies my improvement.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional View taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional perspective view of the designation 0 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective View of the lower portion of designation l which also appears in Figure 1. I

Figure 5 is a side view of Figure 4.

I desire it to be understood that Figures 2, 3 and 4 show the M portion of my improved plate enlarged, while Figure 1 shows the improvement somewhat smaller than usual, while Figure 5 is substantially full sized. It will of course be understood that the size of the M of my improvement may be varied without departing from the spirit of my improvement.

In the accompanying drawing, the plate I preferably consists of thin metal which is capable of having the "M embossed thereon by the usual pressing process. This M portion is generally designated by A. This M portion consists of a projected or embossed inverted V-shaped trough 2, which is composed of the inner inclined walls 3, and outer inclined walls l.

As shown in Fig. 4 the embossed indicia consists of a main stem portion A and a portion B which extends across the end of the said main stem portion, and it will be seen that both the main stem A and the cross portion B are each M-shaped in cross section. Figs. 4. and 5 show that the lower end of the M-shaped portion A which is adjacent to the cross portion B slants toward and merges into the plate 1 in advance of said cross portion, and that the end 6 of the said cross portion B merges into the said plate A. The foregoing also shows that the main stem portion A and the cross portion B are each separate from each other.

It will thus be seen by examining Figure 5 that the M-shaped portion A of the stem of the indicia. extends longitudinal of said stem and that the M-shaped portion also extends longitudinal of said cross portion of said indicia. In this way the complete and perfect outlines of the indicia are preserved.

Figure 4 also shows in perspective that the ends 6 slant downward and merge into said plate i.

In carrying out the foregoing description the body of the plate 1 is made of a non-reflecting surfacein any desired manner, while the inner walls 3 are composed of reflecting surfaces, and when desiredand as here shown-sai d outer Walls are made reflecting surfaces. The reflections are illustrated by arrows in Figures 2 and 3. This is usually accomplished by painting all parts of the plate excepting the parts which form said M. Thisplate is preferably of aluminum and therefore the walls which form said M are highly reflecting, and it stands out clearly when the light from the lamps of an approaching automobile strike said surfaces.

The improvement readily lends itself to the usual mass production methods essential when producing automobile and other signs.

While my sign plate is especially designed for automobiles and it clearly and perfectly outlines the sign due to reflections from the walls 3 and l which are caused by the lamps of an approaching automobile, and the M construction is readily observed even though the approaching automobile is out of line with the automobile containing my M construction of sign, and that is true even if said following automobile has its lamps turned to the lower beam, my sign is also adapted to be used in other connections as will be understood.

I claim:

1. A sheet metal sign plate of the character described, having embossed thereon in-dicia consisting of main and cross stem portions which are M-shaped in cross section, said M-shaped portions being embossed thereon in separated relationship to each other.

2. A sheet metal sign plate of the character described, said plate having embossed thereon indicia which consist of a main M-shaped portion and a cross M-shaped portion extending cross-wise one end of said main portion and separate from said main portion, the end of the main portion slanting towards the cross portion but merging with the said plate in advance of the said cross portion.

3. A sheet metal sign plate of the character described, said plate having embossed thereon indicia which consists of a main M-shaped stem and a cross M-shaped stem located at one end of the said main stem but formed separate therefrom, and the ends of the cross portion slanting toward and merging into the said plate.

4. A sheet metal sign plate of the character described, said plate having embossed thereon indicia which consists of an M-shaped stem portion and a cross M-shaped stem located at one end of the said main stem but separate therefrom, the end of the main M-shaped portion adjacent the cross portion slanting and merging into the plate in advance of the cross portion, and the ends of the cross portion slanting toward and merging into the said plate.

ARTHUR SYDNEY HAINSWORTH. 

